Traditional greenhouses are complex and expensive structures. They tend to be permanent buildings. Their construction often requires the procurement of building permits, and they cannot be easily moved from one location to another. Moreover, they are often difficult to construct. Even a small 8'.times.12' greenhouse may take several days to construct after the permits have been approved and materials obtained. If individuals are interested in constructing a small greenhouse for growing their own vegetables or flowers, the high cost and complex building process make traditional greenhouses impractical. In addition, traditional greenhouses often incorporate glass panels, which pose a danger from breakage. Furthermore, they often incorporate rust-prone frame members or chemically-treated wood beams, both of which are undesirable materials for use around a food supply.
Temporary greenhouses have been developed to address some of the problems posed by traditional greenhouses. A temporary greenhouse is typically a much simpler structure and less expensive than an equivalently sized traditional greenhouse. And, a building permit is typically not required to construct a temporary greenhouse because it is not a permanent building.
While conventional temporary greenhouses address some of the problems posed by traditional greenhouses, they pose a new set of problems while not entirely answering the traditional greenhouse shortcomings. For example, while temporary greenhouses are typically less expensive than permanent greenhouses, they are still often too expensive to justify individual use, particularly when one considers their temporary nature. Furthermore, conventional greenhouses do not have a shape which favors maximum sun exposure regardless of time of day or time of year. Consequently, to insure the maximum amount of sunlight inside the greenhouse, the greenhouse must be precisely oriented relative to the direction of travel in the sky by the sun. Even with such precise orientation, reduced amounts of sunlight penetrate into the greenhouse at certain times of day and times of the year relative to that available if other orientations were chosen.
Still further, one typically does not use a greenhouse in a truly temporary manner because plant growing seasons continue for months on end, and users often use greenhouses to grow plants season after season. However, temporary greenhouses are often flimsy structures which offer significant wind resistance and are easily blown away in a nominally high wind. In addition, temporary greenhouses often use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) frame members. Unfortunately, the sunlight needed for the plants in the greenhouse tends to deteriorate such frame members, causing cracking or brittleness within a short period of time. Moreover, conventional temporary greenhouses are often low structures with very little standing or vertical plant stacking room, particularly near walls. Consequently they are difficult and uncomfortable spaces within which to work, and they hold only a few plants for the amount of area required. In short, neither traditional nor temporary greenhouses adequately serve the needs of a utility greenhouse.